2026 International Holocaust Remembrance Day

A wide view of the General Assembly Hall during a moment of silence held during the United Nations Observance of International Day of Commemoration on January 27, 2026 in memory of the victims of the Holocaust on the theme "Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights".
Photo provided by UN
The event is organized by Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme.

By Henry Levy

International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD) ceremony was held at the United Nation’s General Assembly on January 27, 2026. The date commemorates the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp.

When then General of the US Army, Dwight Eisenhower, directed concentration camps and their victims to be photographed as an historical record, deemed never to be disputed, who knew that all these years later there would be a legion of Holocaust deniers and conspiracy theorists rebutting what was proven to be 100% factual? Eisenhower ordered every detail be recorded at Ohrdrub, a subcamp of Buchenwald, Buchenwald and Dachau and that US troops, congressmen, journalists and German civilians and townspeople visit these camps to bear witness.

This provides added importance for the United Nations to keep memorializing the horrors of the Holocaust, even as the number of survivors keep dwindling.

As can be expected the testimony given in the day’s speeches by Holocaust survivors was impactful; and riveting.

Once again, the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres gave a moving speech, which was totally at odds with how he, and most UN member states have so singularly and unfairly demonized the State of Israel with lies and kangaroo courts while ignoring the real demons among nations including Iran, Russia, Sudan, North Korea, Afghanistan and others that invade peaceful neighboring countries, deny women’s rights, deny religious rights, deny basic freedoms and slaughter minority groups in their midst.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, did a masterful job in calling out the perfidy of the United Nations, as the Secretary General, General Assembly President and UN Ambassadors sat by in silence.

The complete text of the many speeches presented at the ceremony are in the pages that follow.

The theme, “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights” guided United Nations Holocaust remembrance and education in 2026. Remembrance dignifies the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. It keeps alive their memories of the communities and traditions and loved ones the Nazis sought to erase. The Holocaust warns us of the deadly consequences of antisemitism and hatred, dehumanization and apathy left unchallenged. Over eighty years after the Holocaust, we witness daily assaults on our fellow global citizens. Antisemitism and hatred surge. Denial and distortion of the Holocaust persist. Remembrance of the Holocaust defies denial and distortion, rejects falsehoods, confronts hatred, and insists on the humanity of the victims. The defense of universal rights is essential for sustainable peace and lies at the heart of the United Nations. In remembering the victims of the Holocaust, the United Nations affirm our shared humanity and pledge to defend the dignity and human rights of all.

A group photo at UN Headquarters during the United Nations Observance of International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust on the theme “Holocaust Remembrance for Dignity and Human Rights

From left to right are: Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications; Cantor Raphael Frieder; Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations; Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations; Sara Weinstein, Holocaust survivor; Evelyn Konrad, Holocaust survivor; Secretary-General António Guterres; Annalena Baerbock, President of the eightieth session of the United Nations General Assembly; Marion Blumenthal Lazan, Holocaust survivor; Nataliia Tomenko; Michael G. Waltz, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations; James Kariuki, Acting Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and President of the Security Council for the month of February.

Enumerated below are the listing of events at the UN as part of the IHRD observances.

United Nations Holocaust Memorial Observance, Tuesday January 27, 2026, 11:00AM - 1:00PM.
General Assembly Hall, United Nations Headquarters

The Holocaust Memorial Observance took place on the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. The observance featured Holocaust survivors sharing their testimonies, and official remarks by the Secretary-General, the President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly and Representatives of the Permanent Missions of Israel and the United States to the United Nations. Ms. Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, hosted the proceedings.

Exhibition: Between Life and Death: Stories of Rescue during the Holocaust
January 15 - February 20 at the Visitors’ Lobby, United Nations Headquarters

The exhibition brings together the stories of survivors and rescuers and explores the complexity of human relationships during the Holocaust, specifically during the Second World War. The exhibition includes testimonies from thirteen European countries and includes the actions of diplomats in eleven countries. The exhibition provides a glimpse of the broader historical context to deepen an understanding of the very different local possibilities for survival and rescue efforts.

The exhibition was curated by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), in cooperation with the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw and the Silent Heroes Memorial Center in Berlin.

Exhibition: Holocaust Remembrance - A Commitment to Truth
January 15 - February 6 at the Visitors’ Lobby, United Nations Headquarters

Through survivor testimony and photographs, this exhibition documents the systematic persecution and destruction of Jewish families, communities, and traditions by the Nazis and their collaborators. The exhibition bears witness to the suffering of Roma and Sinti, and of other groups targeted by racist hatred and supremacist ideology. The exhibition illustrates the courage of victims to resist dehumanization and those who tried to help.

The exhibition was curated by the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, United Nations Department of Global Communications.

Exhibition: Lest We Forget
Visitors’ Lobby, United Nations Headquarters

This exhibition provides glimpses of moments of kindness and compassion, of life enjoyed, and of the intimate connections that existed in Jewish families and communities before the Holocaust. The photographs stand as stark evidence of the deep and terrible loss and destruction wrought by the Nazis and their racist collaborators during the Holocaust, in their attempt to destroy all trace of Jewish life, tradition, communities, homes, families and individuals. The photographs reflect the humanity of the victims of the Holocaust, and underline the scale of the destruction of the Nazis and their racist collaborators. The photographs remind us of our common humanity, and our responsibility to defend the right of all to live with dignity and in peace.

The exhibition was curated by the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, United Nations Department of Global Communications.

The exhibitions are free and open to the public. No registration is required. Please visit UN Exhibits for visitor instructions.

Panel Discussion: Technology, Memory, and the Future of Holocaust Remembrance
January 26, 2026 By invitation only

A high-level panel will explore how emerging technologies, including AI, gaming, and VR, can preserve Holocaust memory, counter denial and distortion, and combat the spread of hate. Invited speakers include Professor Victoria Grace Richardson-Walden, Director, The Landecker Digital Memory Lab, University of Sussex and Mr. Luc Bernard, Game designer, The Light in the Darkness. Ms. Yfat Barak-Cheney, Executive Director, Institute for Technology and Human Rights, World Jewish Congress will moderate the discussion.

Film Screening and Discussion: The Last Ones of Auschwitz
January 27, 2026 By invitation only

This 70-minute documentary presents the powerful testimonies of Holocaust survivors, with a special focus on those who survived Auschwitz. The documentary brings together 28 of the very last witnesses of this camp. The film traces the harrowing journey of the survivors and presents their perspective on the present.
Thursday, 29 January 2026

Holocaust Remembrance Today - A Living Responsibility: A Panel Discussion in Conjunction with the Exhibition Between Life and Death. Stories of Rescue During the Holocaust at the United Nations
January 29, 2026 7:00 p.m. EST, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, 15 W 16th Street, New York, NY 10011

Holocaust survivor Elżbieta Ficowska and historians Jay Winter, Daniel Blatman and Mordecai Paldiel explored how Holocaust remembrance has evolved, how stories of rescuers and survivors can be shared with younger generations, and how challenges such as disinformation, artificial intelligence, and fading living memory can be addressed. Jayashri Wyatt, Chief, Education Outreach Section at United Nations Department of Global Communications, moderated the discussion.

The discussion is jointly organized by the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, the Center for Jewish History, together with the Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme. It is supported by the Sousa Mendes Foundation.